Good health

Warning issued to over-60s who like a tipple

Nov 14, 2016

You probably like the odd glass of wine and may not have given it a second thought when it comes to your health. In fact alcohol and alcohol consumption are very much a part of many cultures. While you know the risks of drinking too much, a new study shows that drinking and heart disease are closely linked.

It’s said that beer can help protect your brain cells from damage, while red wine is considered beneficial to one’s health because of all those antioxidant properties. However, the study of those aged over 65 publishing in the American Heart Association journal has found that your risk of heart damage increases alongside alcohol intake.

When conducting the study it looked at the guidelines around what ‘drinking in moderation’ actually means. No worries if you’re a woman who only likes one glass of an alcoholic beverage — you fall right within the guidelines. Men, you shouldn’t be having more than two standard alcoholic drinks a day.

The study tested the effect of weekly alcohol consumption on a group of around 4,500 over-60s, with an average age of 76 years. It looked at how the alcohol consumption affected the size, structure and motion of the heart, and found that the more people drank the greater the subtle changes to the heart’s structure and function.

While you’ve all been told of the potential health benefits of alcohol, particularly when protecting against heart failure and brain decline, this research is in complete contrast to that.

Not only are you at risk of heart disease, according to this research the other factor older drinkers need to be aware of is alcohol addiction. Bereavement, illness, mobility difficulties, a loss of independence and social isolation all contribute to an increase in alcohol dependence according to this research.

With this information now available, now might be the time to be as proactive as possible about protecting your heart.